WCDSB Student AI Symposium

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Event Details

Symposium Schedule

9:30 – 10:00 am

Welcome

Whitney McKinley

Katrina Gouett

10:00 am – 11:00 am

Keynote Speaker

Nancy Nelson is an award-winning educator with over 30 years in the Canadian post-secondary system. An engineer by profession, she has most recently been Director of Teaching Innovation at Conestoga and an Engineering Education Developer at U Waterloo. Nancy is nationally recognized for her educational leadership both in and beyond the classroom. She’s been awarded Engineers Canada’s Medal for Distinction in Engineering Education, Colleges and Institutes Canada’s Leadership Excellence Award for Faculty, and most recently a 3M National Teaching Fellowship by the Society of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE).

11:00 am – 11:15 am

Transition

11:15 am – 12:15 pm

Session 1

Session Description

Facilitator

Session Description

Facilitator

Session Description

Facilitator

Session Description

Through a hands-on ecosystem of micro:bit-based coding and AI tools, Jeremy and his team work with educators across the globe to build computer science capacity and support its meaningful integration into the classroom. Their approach bridges the gap between curriculum and real-world application, helping students build confidence and see themselves as creators of technology, not just consumers.

Facilitator

Jeremy Hedges is the Founder and CEO of InkSmith and Forward Education, a Kitchener-based educational technology company focused on equipping the next generation with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make a positive impact on the world.

Session Description

Explore Canva’s Magic AI tools to build a polished, professional and personalized portfolio. Use Magic Design to craft your visual identity and design a resume that reflects your strengths. Add in your projects, assignments, and achievements to showcase your best work, and have Canva’s Magic tools support you along the way. You’ll walk away with a digital portfolio ready to impress.

Facilitator

Corissa Tymafichuk

12:15 pm – 1:00 pm

Lunch

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Panel Discussion

2:00 pm – 2:15 pm

Transition

2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

Session 2

Session Description

Facilitator

Session Description

Facilitator

Session Description

Through a hands-on ecosystem of micro:bit-based coding and AI tools, Jeremy and his team work with educators across the globe to build computer science capacity and support its meaningful integration into the classroom. Their approach bridges the gap between curriculum and real-world application, helping students build confidence and see themselves as creators of technology, not just consumers.

Facilitator

Jeremy Hedges is the Founder and CEO of InkSmith and Forward Education, a Kitchener-based educational technology company focused on equipping the next generation with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make a positive impact on the world.

Session Description

Ignite your creativity with Canva Code and design any digital tool you can dream of! Create one and two-player educational games, interactive study guides, personal research assistants and more! Don’t let the word “code” intimidate you; come see just how creative coding can be, and discover how easy it is to bring your ideas to life. 

Facilitator

Corissa Tymafichuk

Session Description

Artificial intelligence might seem like magic—but at its core, it’s all about computer code. And coding isn’t just about typing on a computer—it’s about thinking logically, solving problems, and tackling challenges step by step. In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn how computer programmers and AI systems tackle complex challenges by breaking them into smaller manageable pieces and spotting patterns. You’ll explore how computer programmers think and design AI systems. We’ll also take a peek “under the hood” to understand, in simple terms, how AI actually works. By the end, you’ll be thinking like a programmers and see problems in a whole new way.

Facilitator

Damian Pope is an Outreach Scientist at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada. He inspires students and teachers with the wonders of science. He holds a PhD in quantum computing from the University of Queensland in Australia, along with a qualification in science communication. He is passionate about making physics accessible and is dedicated to sharing the joy and beauty of physics with audiences of all backgrounds.

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Event Feedback

3:30 pm

Departure

Many Thanks to our Community Partners